Pastor accused in theft of church's $1 million

A pastor was accused yesterday of stealing more than $1 million from his former church in Columbus.

A pastor was accused yesterday of stealing more than $1 million from his former church in Columbus.

David A. Thompson, 46, of Canal Winchester, was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury on 23 counts. Authorities say he stole the money from World of Pentecost Church, 3431 E. Main St.

Charges include theft, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, money laundering, forgery, tampering with records and filing false tax returns. He faces up to 87 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

Prosecutors say Thompson took money from the church between 1998 and 2007 and spent it on personal items, including two cars -- a $30,000 Lincoln Navigator and a $50,125 BMW -- and his Canal Winchester home.

Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said the pastor sold 19 acres of church property to the city of Columbus in 2000 for more than $900,000 and kept the money.

Thompson also forged a document giving him permission to borrow money on behalf of the church and used the money and church funds to pay for his house at 6207 Mistover Lane in Canal Winchester, authorities said. He also is accused in a civil suit of using church money to build a swimming pool on his property.

Records show that Thompson bought the house in 1996 for $222,510.

The accusations have saddened the congregation, said Craig Scott, an attorney representing the church. Some of the members have known Thompson, who took over the pulpit from his father in 1995, since he was a child.

The church secretary discovered missing money in 2007 and reported it to police, O'Brien said. It took Columbus police two years to investigate the case.

Thompson will be arraigned Monday.

Church members wouldn't speak publicly about the case, but one did express relief that Thompson finally was arrested.

Some members left the church after the accusations against Thompson surfaced, Scott said. The church has a new pastor.

In 2007, 18 members of the World of Pentecost Church filed a lawsuit against Thompson, his father and six church leaders seeking a judgment of nearly $1 million. A judge dismissed the lawsuit because of concerns about wording of the church's bylaws and concerns of ruling on what he considered a religious matter.

New leaders of the church filed another lawsuit on Jan. 16 seeking to recover the money from Thompson and "John Does" to whom he allegedly gave some of the money, Scott said.

Thompson also is a defendant in a lawsuit that claims he defaulted on a credit-card debt of $19,359.

Dispatch reporter Randy Ludlow contributed to this story.

mheagney@dispatch.com

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